MLB

5 things to look for as Cubs start spring training

CHICAGO (AP)

Theo Epstein never said the overhaul would be easy. As he enters
his third year as president of baseball operations, more struggling
appears to be in store for the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs are eyeing their fifth straight losing season, which
would be the longest such run for them in three decades, while they
wait for their top prospects to develop in the minors.

With that in mind, here are five things to look for as they open
spring training with pitchers and catchers reporting on
Thursday.

YOUTH IS SERVED: The Cubs' top four prospects - infielder Javier
Baez, outfielder Albert Almora, third baseman Kris Bryant and
outfielder Jorge Soler - will be in camp together for the first
time. Get a look while you can, because they appear headed to the
minors before Opening Day. But their progress will be one of the
biggest stories this spring and beyond as the Cubs try to produce
their first winning season since 2009.

NEW LEADERSHIP: Chicago hired Rick Renteria to replace fired
manager Dale Sveum because he is known for his work with young
players. Many fans were hoping the Cubs would land Joe Girardi. But
if Renteria can get the most out of Starlin Castro and Anthony
Rizzo while establishing a proper environment for the arrival of
the prized prospects, Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer will
take that. If nothing else, the record can't get any worse, can it?
The Cubs are coming off a two-year run under Sveum in which they
went 127-197 and produced more losses in a pair of seasons than at
any other time in their cursed history. They've dropped 288 games
the past three years.

NICE PAD: Well, look at that. The Cubs have a shiny home. Check
that, they have a shiny new spring training home. While the
renovations at Wrigley Field remain stalled due to legal wrangling
with the neighboring rooftop owners about changes that could
obstruct their views, the team will be playing in fancy digs at
least while they're in Arizona. Voters in Mesa approved a $99
million outlay of public money for the stadium complex in 2010 for
a new facility that figures to be a major upgrade. It keeps the
Cubs on one site throughout spring training for the first time in
decades. They'd move from Fitch Park to HoHoKam Stadium once games
began.

TIME TO REBOUND: Castro's and Rizzo's struggles last season went
a long way toward Sveum getting shown the door. Now, it's time for
them to step up. In Castro's case, that means regaining the form
that made him a two-time All-Star. There were too many lapses in
the field. His batting average dropped to a career-low .245, and
among shortstops, Castro and the White Sox's Alexei Ramirez tied
for the major league lead with 22 errors.

Rizzo saw his home run total increase from 15 to 23 last season,
but he played in 160 games compared to just 87 in 2012. He also saw
his average dip from .285 to .233.

SEE YA' SAMARDZIJA?: Pitcher Jeff Samardzija agreed to a
one-year, $5.3 million contract on Saturday, avoiding arbitration,
but his long-term future remains up in the air. The 29-year-old,
right-hander is a candidate to be traded.

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